WAR CHINA THREATENS TO INVADE TAIWAN

northern watch

TB Fanatic
Taiwan defence minister says tensions with China are the worst in four decades
Reuters
October 5, 20218:27 PM PDT
Last Updated 4 hours ago

TAIPEI, October 6 2021 (Reuters) - Military tensions with China are at their worst in more than 40 years, Taiwan's defence minister said on Wednesday, days after record numbers of Chinese aircraft flew into the island's air defence zone.

Tensions have hit a new high between Taipei and Beijing, which claims the democratic island as its own territory, and Chinese military aircraft have repeatedly flown through Taiwan's air defence identification zone.

Over a four day period beginning last Friday, Taiwan reported close to 150 Chinese air force aircraft entered its air defence zone, part of a pattern of what Taipei calls Beijing's continued harassment of the island.

Asked by a lawmaker on the current military tensions with China at the parliament, Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said the situation was "the most serious" in more than 40 years since he joined the military, adding there was a risk of a "misfire" across the sensitive Taiwan Strait.

"For me as a military man, the urgency is right in front of me," he told a parliamentary committee reviewing a special military spending of T$240 billion ($8.6 billion) for home-made weapons including missiles and warships.

China says Taiwan should be taken by force if necessary. Taiwan says it is an independent country and will defend its freedoms and democracy, blaming China for the tensions.

Chiu said China already has the ability to invade Taiwan and it will be capable of mounting a "full scale" invasion by 2025.

"By 2025, China will bring the cost and attrition to its lowest. It has the capacity now, but it will not start a war easily, having to take many other things into consideration."

The United States, Taiwan's main military supplier, has confirmed its "rock-solid" commitment to Taiwan and also criticised China. Beijing blames Washington's policies of supporting Taiwan with arms sales and sending warships through the Taiwan Strait for raising tensions.

Taiwan's special military spending over the next five years will go mostly toward naval weapons including anti-ship weapons such as land-based missile systems.

Taiwan reported one Chinese air force aircraft entered its air defence zone on Tuesday.

Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee; Editing by Lincoln Feast

Taiwan defence minister says tensions with China are the worst in four decades | Reuters
 

jward

passin' thru
World War III a ‘possibility’ amid China-Taiwan tensions
18 hours ago

ee00af0fb0772251faf2908c9d8f630b


Australia must be ready for the “possibility” of a major international conflict between western and eastern powers should Xi Jinping’s China decide to take Taiwan, according to ASPI Senior Analyst Dr Malcolm Davis.
It comes as tension has further escalated between China and Taiwan after Chinese fighter jets were seen off the island’s coast.
“It’s a possibility – we shouldn’t kid ourselves that that sort of major power conflict couldn’t happen,” Dr Davis told Sky News Australia.

“And you mention Russia – I have no doubt that they would try to exploit the situation perhaps by making a move against NATO’s eastern frontier in the Baltic states.
“So yes that is a possibility but we have to be ready for it – the alternative to do nothing is to basically let China have its way in the Indo-Pacific region and that would be almost catastrophic.”
Dr Davis said China fully expects to face US and allied nations in conflict should it attempt to take Taiwan.
“I think they’re quite ready for that.

“When you look at how the PLA’s modernisation has occurred over the last few years – they’re actively preparing to fight and defeat the United States in war.
“So they understand that – they know what the stakes are – and they cannot afford to let Taiwan remain de facto independent.
“From Xi’s perspective – they must take Taiwan and they’re going to certainly try.”
 

danielboon

TB Fanatic
Senior Chinese and U.S. officials hold 'frank, comprehensive' talks in Zurich
Updated 03:03, 07-Oct-2021



China and the U.S. have finished their latest round of key talks in Zurich, Switzerland on Wednesday.
High-ranking Chinese politician and diplomat Yang Jiechi and American National Security adviser Jake Sullivan covered a raft of priority issues between the two global powers, including the South China Sea and Taiwan.
7fd1a4cb300949069a3eb34d4566fb4d.jpeg


The talks between Yang Jiechi and Jake Sullivan took place in Zurich. Xinhua Photo
A Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement called the meeting a "comprehensive, frank and in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations and international and regional issues of common concern."
It said the meeting was constructive and conducive to enhancing mutual understanding. The two sides agreed to take action to implement the spirit of the September 10 call between the two heads of state, strengthen strategic communication, properly manage differences, avoid conflict and confrontation, seek mutual benefits and win-win, and work together to promote China-U.S. relations back to the right track of healthy and stable development.

Yang Jiechi pointed out that whether China and the United States can handle each other's relations well is a matter of fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples and the future of the world.
When China and the United States cooperate, both countries and the world will benefit. If China and the United States confront each other, both countries and the world will suffer serious damage.
The U.S. side should have a deep understanding of the mutually beneficial nature of the relationship between the two countries and a correct understanding of China's internal and external policies and strategic intentions. China opposes defining the China-U.S. relationship in terms of "competition".

Yang Jiechi said that China attaches importance to President Biden's recent positive statements on China-U.S. relations and notes that the U.S. side has expressed its intention not to curb China's development and not to engage in a "new cold war", and hopes that the U.S. side will adopt a rational and pragmatic policy toward China and join China in respecting each other's core interests and major concerns and follow the path of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between China and the U.S.

Yang Jiechi elaborated on China's stern position on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, the South China Sea and human rights, and requested the U.S. side to effectively respect China's sovereignty, security and development interests and stop using the above issues to interfere in China's internal affairs.

The U.S. side expressed its adherence to the one-China policy, said the MOFA statement. The two sides also exchanged views on climate change and regional issues of common concern and agreed to maintain regular dialogue and communication on important issues.
According to a White House statement released after the meeting, Sullivan made it clear during his talk with Yang that the U.S. will "continue to invest in our national strength and work closely with our allies and partners." The country will also "continue to engage with China at a senior level to ensure responsible competition."
The meeting follows several important discussions between the sides. Here are some key points from previous high-level exchanges:

China-US relations
In their phone conversation on September 10, China's President Xi Jinping pointed out the two countries' relationship has run into serious difficulty due to the U.S. policy on China.
He said Beijing and Washington need to show broad vision and shoulder great responsibilities. The two countries should look ahead and press forward, demonstrate strategic courage and political resolve and bring China-U.S. relations back to the right track of stable development as soon as possible for the good of the people in both countries and around the world.
U.S. President Joe Biden said in the phone call that the two powers have no interest in letting competition veer into conflict and the U.S. is prepared to have more candid exchanges and constructive discussions with China to identify key and priority areas where cooperation is possible, avoid miscommunication, miscalculation and unintended conflict and get U.S.-China relations back on track.

Taiwan
Yang Jiechi said in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on June 11 that the Taiwan question concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and involves China's core interests. He reiterated that there is only one China in the world and that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China.
Biden noted in his phone conversation with Xi the U.S. side has no intention to try to change the "One China" policy.

Climate change
Xi has also elaborated on China's position on climate change in previous exchanges with the U.S.
He stressed that China continues to prioritize ecological conservation and pursues a green and low-carbon path to development. He said the nation has taken the initiative to actively shoulder international responsibilities befitting China's national conditions.
Biden said the U.S. side looks forward to more discussions and cooperation with China to reach more common positions on climate change and other important issues.
 

jward

passin' thru
Blinken: US stands by Taiwan



The US Secretary of State warned Chinese leaders on Wednesday about tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Antony Blinken urged them to stop what he called their "provocative military activity" near Taiwan.

Blinken spoke at meetings of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris. He said the US would continue to stand with its allies to advance shared prosperity, security, and values.

The secretary said the US would continue to deepen ties with Taiwan. He said that commitment was "rock solid."

Chinese military aircraft have entered the Taiwanese zone repeatedly since the beginning of the month

Please see source for video
 

jward

passin' thru
Global conflict over Taiwan ‘may be triggered at any time’, warns Chinese state media

Taiwan has described China’s behaviour as ‘irresponsible provocative actions’

Shweta Sharma
11 hours ago
comments




<p>China flew nearly 150 warplanes into Taiwan’s airspace in just four days</p>

China flew nearly 150 warplanes into Taiwan’s airspace in just four days
(Reuters)

Chinese state media has warned that the threat of war is “real” and that it “may be triggered at any time”, as relations between China and Taiwan worsened and military tensions between the two countries escalated to their highest in more than 40 years.
The editorial in China’s state-backed Global Times newspaper came as China scaled up its military intimidation of the island nation of Taiwan.

On Monday, a record 56 Chinese warplanes intruded into Taiwan’s airspace, prompting Taipei’s defence ministry to scramble its air defence system and issue warnings. The show of force marked the fourth straight day of intrusions by aircraft belonging to the People’s Liberation Army, with about 148 Chinese planes encroaching on the island’s airspace.

Taiwan has described these incursions as “irresponsible provocative actions”, while the US, Japan and Australia urged China to end its military threats.
The editorial objected to the US and Japan’s support of Taiwan and termed it “strategic collusion” that it said is becoming more “audacious”.
It also warned Taiwan and its supporters not to “continue to play with fire”, stating that “the Chinese mainland’s preparation to use force against Taiwan secessionist forces is much stronger than ever before”.
Recommended
“The strategic collusion between the US and Japan and the DPP [Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan] authorities is becoming more audacious, and the situation across the Taiwan Strait has almost lost any room for manoeuvre, teetering on the edge of a face-off, creating a sense of urgency that the war may be triggered at any time,” the editorial said.

Taiwan said on Monday that China had breached its airspace with 56 jets, including nuclear-capable bombers, in a single day. Before that, the People’s Liberation Army had sent 38 warplanes into the area on China’s National Day on Friday, and 39 aircraft on Saturday, followed by 16 on Sunday.
Hours before the incursions, it was reported that the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth had entered the disputed South China Sea, which China claims as its territorial waters. This may indicate that the British flagship’s joint exercise with US carriers USS Carl Vinson and USS Ronald Reagan, and Japan’s helicopter destroyer JS Ise, was another precipitator of China’s “bullying” of Taiwan, according to experts.

The joint exercise with warships from six different countries continued over the weekend amid heightened tensions between Taiwan and China.
In a scathing rebuke, the editorial said that China would not allow the island to act as an “outpost of the US’s strategic containment against China”, and that it would not be allowed to secede from China under any circumstances.

Another harshly worded editorial in the Global Times said that Taiwan’s fate was “bound to be a catastrophe when they attempt to separate Taiwan from China”. It also warned that Taiwan was moving towards its “tomb” by colluding with external forces. This editorial was published in response to an article by Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, in Foreign Affairs magazine, where she warned of “catastrophic consequences” for peace in Asia if Taipei fell to Beijing.

On Wednesday, Taiwan’s defence minister said that China had the ability to mount a “full scale” invasion of Taiwan by 2025. Chiu Kuo-cheng said the situation between China and Taiwan was “the most serious” in more than 40 years, and added that there was a risk of a “misfire” across the sensitive Taiwan Strait.
He said a parliamentary committee was reviewing a proposal for special military spending of T$240bn (£6.3bn) for weapons made in Taiwan, such as missiles and warships.

Though the US and Australia do not have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, they issued statements lending support to Taiwan against China’s latest show of force.
Australia said it was “concerned by China’s increased air incursions into Taiwan’s air defence zone over the past week” and warned against “the threat or use of force”.
The US described the incursions as provocative and destabilising. “Our commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region,” it said.
But China criticised the US’s statement for “inflating” Taiwanese separatist forces, and asked Washington to stop supporting such actions.

Following China’s statement, Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he had spoken with Chinese president Xi Jinping on the phone. “I’ve spoken with Xi about Taiwan. We agree ... we’ll abide by the Taiwan agreement,” he said. “We made it clear that I don’t think he should be doing anything other than abiding by the agreement.”
Mr Biden was said to be referring to Washington’s long-standing “one-China policy”, under which it officially recognises Beijing rather than Taipei, and the Taiwan Relations Act.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan will hold talks with China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi in Switzerland later on Wednesday amid heightened tensions between the world’s two largest economies over a range of issues, including Taiwan. It will be Mr Sullivan’s first face-to-face meeting with Mr Yang since the two were involved in verbal exchanges in Alaska in March.

A group of French senators, including a former defence minister, is to visit Taiwan this week, despite pressure from China. The delegation will be led by Alain Richard, head of the French Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group, said Taiwan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou.
(With additional reporting from agencies)

More about
TaiwanUSJapanGlobal Times

Posted for fair use
 

jward

passin' thru





EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3




I did some digging. UDN is Taiwan's 3rd largest newspaper. I translated the article and what @TheWuhanClan is reporting is correct.


Wuhan Global Energy Crisis Swan
@TheWuhanClan

BREAKING: Xi Jinping will deliver an important speech this Saturday emphasizing reunification and resolutely opposing external forces' interference in the Taiwan Strait and opposition to Taiwan independence https://udn.com/news/amp/story/7331/5797761?__twitter_impression=true
$spx $spy $nq $qqq $vix #taiwan #taipei #ccp
View: https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1445978002022703104?s=20
 

jward

passin' thru
Tony Abbott tells Taiwan president democracies must ‘stand shoulder to shoulder’ against China
Daniel Hurst

7-9 minutes​


The former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott has told the president of Taiwan he hopes his visit to the democratically ruled island will help end its isolation from the international community.
Abbott met Tsai Ing-wen at the presidential office in Taipei on Thursday. He said China’s recent incursions into Taiwan’s air defence zone made it even more important that “fellow democracies stand shoulder to shoulder with you”.
The ex-prime minister, speaking a day before he is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech to a regional conference, appeared to describe Taiwan as a “country” – a position opposed by China which considers it a renegade province.
“It is in large measure to try to help to end this isolation from which Taiwan has been suffering for so many decades that I am here in this country and I do hope that this will be the first of many visits,” Abbott said.

Under the Australian government’s one-China policy, Australia does not recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state, and therefore dealings between government officials take place unofficially. But Canberra has flagged its support for deeper ties, particularly on the economic front.
The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, told reporters in Canberra on Thursday that Abbott was “a private citizen” visiting Taiwan in a private capacity.
But Taiwan considered the trip significant enough to grant Abbott a meeting with Tsai on Thursday and the event was also attended by Jenny Bloomfield, the representative of the Australian Office in Taipei.

During an exchange broadcast by the presidential office, Tsai said she wanted to extend a warm welcome to Abbott on his first trip to Taiwan. She hoped the visit would “facilitate even more cooperation and understanding between Taiwan and Australia”.
Tsai thanked Abbott for voicing support for an economic cooperation agreement between Australia and Taiwan and for backing Taiwan’s inclusion in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
“Your statements on the importance of a secure and peaceful Taiwan Strait are also greatly appreciated,” she said.
Abbott, in turn, described Taiwan as a model for the wider world and “certainly a model for so many countries in this part of the world”.

Taiwan, he said, had “transformed from an impoverished dictatorship into a vibrant, dynamic, pluralist democracy”.
“You have demonstrated to all of the countries of this region that it is possible to be both rich and free and it is possible to have both liberty and democracy,” he said.
“Of course not everyone and not everywhere is pleased [by] Taiwan’s progress and I do note that Taiwan is challenged on an almost daily basis by its giant neighbour. It’s more important than ever, under such circumstances, that your fellow democracies stand shoulder to shoulder with you.”

Abbott said the best thing that countries like Australia could do for Taiwan was to try to build an “ever deeper relationship across the board” but particularly in trade.
“If I may say so, perhaps in recent times countries like Australia have overemphasised fostering democracy in places where it has never taken root and underemphasised protecting democracy in places where it has. It’s important that we get the balance right in the future.”
Abbott said he could not think of a stronger signal of democracies standing shoulder to shoulder with Taiwan than accepting Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP.

“Obviously I can’t make specific commitments on behalf of the Australian government, but I am confident that I do speak for the entire Australian people when I say that as a people we wish the people of Taiwan to continue to flourish in peace and in freedom.”
Tsai had earlier noted the Australian government had been “actively adjusting its strategies in response to geopolitical changes in the Indo-Pacific region” and had backed Taiwan’s international participation.
“Taiwan is willing to contribute to upholding regional peace and stability,” she told Abbott, who was Australia’s prime minister from 2013 to 2015. “We seek to deepen collaboration with other freedom-loving democracies in such areas as vaccines, emerging technologies, climate change and supply chains.”
Abbott began his remarks by thanking Tsai for her “wonderfully warm and deeply courteous welcome” but also took a swipe at face masks.

“I am looking forward to my next trip to Taiwan, a trip where I’m sure it will be possible to enjoy the bounty of this wonderful place, where, please God, we won’t be required to wear these wretched masks any more,” he said on Thursday.
“On that note though, I should congratulate Taiwan for being the one place on Earth which has best tamed this Covid beast and has managed to do it without any major restrictions on economic activity and human freedom.”
Taiwan remained largely Covid-free during the pandemic, after shutting its borders to non-residents early, enacting strict quarantine measures, and encouraging widespread mask-wearing. Taiwan currently requires all entrants to quarantine in a hotel at their own cost or in a government facility.

During its largest outbreak earlier this year, Taiwan went into a soft lockdown, ordering public sporting venues, adult and entertainment venues, and restaurants to close – except for takeaway. The more than three-month shutdown was widely followed but did prompt complaints from some business owners, particularly in hospitality, who were devastated by the economic hit.
– additional reporting Helen Davidson in Taipei
 

jward

passin' thru
ETA link to thread on this article on main:


WSJ News Exclusive | U.S. Troops Have Been Deployed in Taiwan for at Least a Year
Gordon Lubold

9-11 minutes


WASHINGTON—A U.S. special-operations unit and a contingent of Marines have been secretly operating in Taiwan to train military forces there, U.S. officials said, part of efforts to shore up the island’s defenses as concern regarding potential Chinese aggression mounts.
About two dozen members of U.S. special-operations and support troops are conducting training for small units of Taiwan’s ground forces, the officials said. The U.S. Marines are working with local maritime forces on small-boat training. The American forces have been operating in Taiwan for at least a year, the officials said.
The U.S. special-operations deployment is a sign of concern within the Pentagon over Taiwan’s tactical capabilities in light of Beijing’s yearslong military buildup and recent threatening moves against the island.

Taiwan and U.S. officials have expressed alarm over nearly 150 flights near Taiwan in the past week by Chinese military aircraft. The Chinese aircraft have included J-16 jet fighters, H-6 strategic bombers and Y-8 submarine-spotting aircraft and have set a record for such sorties, according to the Taiwan government.

The Chinese flights, while not entering the area Taiwan defines as its airspace, have been a reminder of the Communist Party’s view of Taiwan as a part of China. Beijing has vowed to take control of the island by force if necessary. Top U.S. military officials testified earlier this year that Beijing is likely to try to use force in its designs on Taiwan within the next six years. Other officials have said China’s timeline could be sooner than that.

Taiwan’s defense minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, warned Wednesday that China would be able to launch a full-scale attack on Taiwan with minimal losses by 2025.

Fears of Chinese Move on Taiwan Weigh on U.S.-China Relations

0:00 / 1:57
1:57
thumbstrip.jpg

Fears of Chinese Move on Taiwan Weigh on U.S.-China Relations

Fears of Chinese Move on Taiwan Weigh on U.S.-China Relations
Taiwan and China have had an unstable coexistence for more than seven decades, and concerns are rising that China might move against Taiwan to force a unification. WSJ’s Gerald F. Seib explains some of the causes for worry. Photo illustration: Laura Kammermann

White House and Pentagon officials declined to comment on the deployment of the U.S. military force. There was no immediate response to requests for comment from Taipei. The deployment is rotational, the U.S. officials said, meaning that members of the U.S. units serve on a variable schedule.


China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it urged the U.S. to adhere to prior agreements and to cease military aid to Taiwan. “China will take all necessary steps to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it said.


Asian media reports last year suggesting a possible U.S. Marine deployment in Taiwan were never confirmed by U.S. officials. The presence of U.S. special operations forces hasn’t been previously reported.


The special-operations unit and the Marine contingent are a small but symbolic effort by the U.S. to increase Taipei’s confidence in building its defenses against potential Chinese aggression. Current and former U.S. government officials and military experts believe that deepening ties between U.S. and Taiwan military units is better than simply selling Taiwan military equipment.


The U.S. has sold Taiwan billions of dollars of military hardware in recent years, but current and former officials believe Taiwan must begin to invest in its defense more heavily, and smartly.


“Taiwan badly neglected its national defense for the first 15 years or so of this century, buying too much expensive equipment that will get destroyed in the first hours of a conflict, and too little in the way of cheaper but lethal systems—antiship missiles, smart sea mines and well-trained reserve and auxiliary forces—that could seriously complicate Beijing’s war plans,” said Matt Pottinger, a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University’s conservative Hoover Institution who served as a deputy national security adviser during the Trump administration.


im-413001

Chinese military aircraft that have flown near Taiwan include H-6 bombers like this one, according to authorities in Taipei.
Photo: Taiwan Ministry of National Defense/Shutterstock

Mr. Pottinger said Taiwan’s overall military spending was similar to that of Singapore, which has a quarter of Taiwan’s population and “doesn’t have China breathing down its neck.” Mr. Pottinger said he was unaware of any American troop deployment to Taiwan.


In May, Christopher Maier, who later became assistant secretary of defense for special operations, told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing that the U.S. should be considering strongly such a deployment of forces to help Taiwan strengthen its capabilities. Mr. Maier, who worked at the Pentagon under the Trump administration, didn’t say that special-operations forces already were operating there.


Mr. Maier told senators in May that American special-operations units could show forces in Taiwan how to defend against an amphibious landing or train for dozens of other operations needed to defend the island.


“I do think that is something that we should be considering strongly as we think about competition across the span of different capabilities we can apply,” he said then, referring to special-operations units.


While some aspects of the U.S. deployment might be classified, it is also considered politically sensitive given the tense relations between the U.S. and China, according to U.S. officials.


U.S.-China ties are strained over trade, the Covid-19 pandemic, human rights and regional security, including in the South China Sea. National-security adviser Jake Sullivan met in Zurich on Wednesday with Yang Jiechi, China’s top diplomat.


China is likely to view the presence of the U.S. military forces as a violation of commitments made by Washington in past agreements. In one establishing formal relations between the U.S. and China in 1979, Washington agreed to sever formal ties with Taiwan, terminate a defense agreement and withdraw its forces from the island. The U.S. later said it would reduce arms sales to Taiwan.

WSJ News Exclusive | U.S. Troops Have Been Deployed in Taiwan for at Least a Year
 
Last edited:

TFergeson

Non Solum Simul Stare
WSJ News Exclusive | U.S. Troops Have Been Deployed in Taiwan for at Least a Year
Gordon Lubold

9-11 minutes


WASHINGTON—A U.S. special-operations unit and a contingent of Marines have been secretly operating in Taiwan to train military forces there, U.S. officials said, part of efforts to shore up the island’s defenses as concern regarding potential Chinese aggression mounts.
About two dozen members of U.S. special-operations and support troops are conducting training for small units of Taiwan’s ground forces, the officials said. The U.S. Marines are working with local maritime forces on small-boat training. The American forces have been operating in Taiwan for at least a year, the officials said.
The U.S. special-operations deployment is a sign of concern within the Pentagon over Taiwan’s tactical capabilities in light of Beijing’s yearslong military buildup and recent threatening moves against the island.

Taiwan and U.S. officials have expressed alarm over nearly 150 flights near Taiwan in the past week by Chinese military aircraft. The Chinese aircraft have included J-16 jet fighters, H-6 strategic bombers and Y-8 submarine-spotting aircraft and have set a record for such sorties, according to the Taiwan government.

The Chinese flights, while not entering the area Taiwan defines as its airspace, have been a reminder of the Communist Party’s view of Taiwan as a part of China. Beijing has vowed to take control of the island by force if necessary. Top U.S. military officials testified earlier this year that Beijing is likely to try to use force in its designs on Taiwan within the next six years. Other officials have said China’s timeline could be sooner than that.

Taiwan’s defense minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, warned Wednesday that China would be able to launch a full-scale attack on Taiwan with minimal losses by 2025.

Fears of Chinese Move on Taiwan Weigh on U.S.-China Relations

0:00 / 1:57
1:57
thumbstrip.jpg

Fears of Chinese Move on Taiwan Weigh on U.S.-China Relations

Fears of Chinese Move on Taiwan Weigh on U.S.-China Relations
Taiwan and China have had an unstable coexistence for more than seven decades, and concerns are rising that China might move against Taiwan to force a unification. WSJ’s Gerald F. Seib explains some of the causes for worry. Photo illustration: Laura Kammermann

White House and Pentagon officials declined to comment on the deployment of the U.S. military force. There was no immediate response to requests for comment from Taipei. The deployment is rotational, the U.S. officials said, meaning that members of the U.S. units serve on a variable schedule.


China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it urged the U.S. to adhere to prior agreements and to cease military aid to Taiwan. “China will take all necessary steps to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it said.


Asian media reports last year suggesting a possible U.S. Marine deployment in Taiwan were never confirmed by U.S. officials. The presence of U.S. special operations forces hasn’t been previously reported.


The special-operations unit and the Marine contingent are a small but symbolic effort by the U.S. to increase Taipei’s confidence in building its defenses against potential Chinese aggression. Current and former U.S. government officials and military experts believe that deepening ties between U.S. and Taiwan military units is better than simply selling Taiwan military equipment.


The U.S. has sold Taiwan billions of dollars of military hardware in recent years, but current and former officials believe Taiwan must begin to invest in its defense more heavily, and smartly.


“Taiwan badly neglected its national defense for the first 15 years or so of this century, buying too much expensive equipment that will get destroyed in the first hours of a conflict, and too little in the way of cheaper but lethal systems—antiship missiles, smart sea mines and well-trained reserve and auxiliary forces—that could seriously complicate Beijing’s war plans,” said Matt Pottinger, a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University’s conservative Hoover Institution who served as a deputy national security adviser during the Trump administration.


im-413001

Chinese military aircraft that have flown near Taiwan include H-6 bombers like this one, according to authorities in Taipei.
Photo: Taiwan Ministry of National Defense/Shutterstock

Mr. Pottinger said Taiwan’s overall military spending was similar to that of Singapore, which has a quarter of Taiwan’s population and “doesn’t have China breathing down its neck.” Mr. Pottinger said he was unaware of any American troop deployment to Taiwan.


In May, Christopher Maier, who later became assistant secretary of defense for special operations, told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing that the U.S. should be considering strongly such a deployment of forces to help Taiwan strengthen its capabilities. Mr. Maier, who worked at the Pentagon under the Trump administration, didn’t say that special-operations forces already were operating there.


Mr. Maier told senators in May that American special-operations units could show forces in Taiwan how to defend against an amphibious landing or train for dozens of other operations needed to defend the island.


“I do think that is something that we should be considering strongly as we think about competition across the span of different capabilities we can apply,” he said then, referring to special-operations units.


While some aspects of the U.S. deployment might be classified, it is also considered politically sensitive given the tense relations between the U.S. and China, according to U.S. officials.


U.S.-China ties are strained over trade, the Covid-19 pandemic, human rights and regional security, including in the South China Sea. National-security adviser Jake Sullivan met in Zurich on Wednesday with Yang Jiechi, China’s top diplomat.


China is likely to view the presence of the U.S. military forces as a violation of commitments made by Washington in past agreements. In one establishing formal relations between the U.S. and China in 1979, Washington agreed to sever formal ties with Taiwan, terminate a defense agreement and withdraw its forces from the island. The U.S. later said it would reduce arms sales to Taiwan.

WSJ News Exclusive | U.S. Troops Have Been Deployed in Taiwan for at Least a Year

This needs to be on main as an alert. This is huge. The Chinese are going to be pissed, and this may be the catalyst.
 

jward

passin' thru
This needs to be on main as an alert. This is huge. The Chinese are going to be pissed, and this may be the catalyst.
Thanks, Fergeson; I hope your wrong, but things have felt "wound up" so tightly these last few days, that I guess no one would be too surprised if something finally gave :: gulps n makes the face ::
 

TFergeson

Non Solum Simul Stare
Thanks, Fergeson; I hope your wrong, but things have felt "wound up" so tightly these last few days, that I guess no one would be too surprised if something finally gave :: gulps n makes the face ::

China has been looking for an excuse. The problem fo us is, they consider Taiwan to be part of China, so by their view we have troops in their country training forces to overthrow their government. Casus belli if Ive ever heard it.
 

jward

passin' thru
Yeah, you, and much of twitter see it as exactly that.
Some first response from China:

Hu Xijin 胡锡进

@HuXijin_GT



China state-affiliated media

Why just two dozen members? Why secretly? The US should send 240 servicemen publicly, in US military uniform, and make public where they are stationed. See whether the PLA will launch a targeted air strike to eliminate those US invaders!



China has been looking for an excuse. The problem fo us is, they consider Taiwan to be part of China, so by their view we have troops in their country training forces to overthrow their government. Casus belli if Ive ever heard it.
 

northern watch

TB Fanatic
US Marine Special Ops Forces Have Been In Taiwan For Over A Year, Report Confirms

BY TYLER DURDEN
ZERO HEDGE
THURSDAY, OCT 07, 2021 - 10:52 AM

A bombshell Wall Street Journal report has revealed (and confirmed) that an elite contingent of special operations Marines has been deployed to Taiwan for at least the past year - a revelation sure to outrage Beijing amid ongoing charges that the US has effectively abandoned the status quo One China policy.

Citing US officials with knowledge of the program, the report details that "About two dozen members of U.S. special-operations and support troops are conducting training for small units of Taiwan’s ground forces," and that "The U.S. Marines are working with local maritime forces on small-boat training." It's the first such openly confirmed US training deployment in support of local forces since 1979. Taiwan media previously reported it, but this is the first time US officials are providing confirmation.


Illustrative: US Marine Corps image


The sources confirmed, "The American forces have been operating in Taiwan for at least a year" - news which comes after multiple large waves of Chinese PLA flights have left the self-ruled island's defense forces on high alert, and have sent tensions soaring.

There've long been rumors of the Marine presence, and local media reports, but it was deemed highly secretive likely so as to avoid Beijing's wrath and escalatory military measures, as WSJ notes:

Asian media reports last year suggesting a possible U.S. Marine deployment in Taiwan were never confirmed by U.S. officials. The presence of U.S. special operations forces hasn’t been previously reported.
In 2020 Taiwan local media had noted the Pentagon expressly denied the presence of US Marine Raiders (a recently re-established Marine special ops group). One report said at the time:

Pentagon spokesman John Supple has told Taiwan News that "The reports about U.S. Marines in Taiwan are inaccurate" but did not elaborate on which details were incorrectly reported.
Taiwan officials have previously used terms like "fortress" and "porcupine strategy" to describe the level of readiness the island is hoping to achieve in order to stave off any future Chinese military threat. Taipei has also recently approved a nearly $9 billion boost in arms and defense modernization spending amid near daily PLA aerial incursions of its defense identification zone.

Taiwan's defense minister on Wednesday issued a dire warning (though not something entirely new in terms of alarmist statements) which appears geared toward gaining more direct support from Western allies:
"With regards to staging an attack on Taiwan, they currently have the ability. But [China] has to pay the price," Chiu Kuo-cheng, the defense minister, told Taiwanese journalists on Wednesday.

But he said that by 2025, that price will be lower -- and China will be able to mount a "full-scale" invasion.
China's Foreign Ministry has meanwhile issued repeat "red line" warnings concerning the contested island. Very likely Chinese intelligence was already fully aware of the now confirmed small US Marine presence on the island, also amid continued major arms deals inked between Taiwan and the US.

Biden has signaled he intends to see through to completion the multiple Trump-era weapons deals, something which Chinese officials have condemned as brazen violations of 'One China'.

Last month Taiwan's defense ministry said in a statement that "In the face of severe threats from the enemy, the nation’s military is actively engaged in military building and preparation work, and it is urgent to obtain mature and rapid mass production weapons and equipment in a short period of time."

Apparently this military readiness build-up is now receiving almost unprecedented direct support from US military trainers on the ground - something which could easily expand at any moment - but which will no doubt provoke increased military exercises in contested airspace and waters surrounding Taiwan. Chinese state media recently went so far as to call for direct PLA flyovers above the island.

US Marine Special Ops Forces Have Been In Taiwan For Over A Year, Report Confirms | ZeroHedge
 

Techwreck

Veteran Member
I would imagine that Milley has likely apprised his chicom counterparts, especially if the advisors went into Taiwan while Trump was still president.

Milley being the uber-smart patriotic peacekeeping savior and all.
 

Doomer Doug

TB Fanatic
The USA just admitted they have had troops training in Tawain for the last TWELVE MONTHS! US Marine Special OPS.
China will go nuts over this.

:hof:

Zerohedge.com
 

Infoscout

The Dude Abides
I don’t understand, US politicians are in the pocket of China, similar situation in Australia. I really do not think the US will act to defend anything, we have no leadership capable of it, and ideologically, DC is with Communist China.
 
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